Otter Asking for Mandate Delay

(BOISE, ID) – Gov. Butch Otter is asking for a 12-month delay on the federal health insurance mandate. In a letter released Wednesday, Otter scolded embattled Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for glitches that have made the federal government’s insurance website virtually impossible to navigate. Otter says it’s likely that most Idaho residents won’t be able to enroll by the March 31 deadline if problems continue to be unresolved. Otter believes adding another year will help give more time to launch Idaho’s own exchange, which he believes will be more efficient than the federal system.